I hated chewing ice until I got pregnant with my daughter in 2005. I could not get enough ice!! I had my iron levels tested consistently and they were always excellent--so pica was ruled out. I was even chewing ice as I delivered her. The craving subsided a bit after delivery but now I am pregnant again and it is returning.

Funny thing--I also craved the smell of gasoline at the same time--which was something else I did not care for until pregnant. Hubby would drive by the gas stations with the windows down to tease me.

Did anyone else have a craving for a specific smell while chewing ice?

So, I thought I was the only one who not only enjoyed ice chewing, but also enjoyed odd smells! I had my first child, Isabella, on 6/4/06, and I tell ya.... the chewing ice thing started during labor when all I was allowed was crushed ice! Ever since then, I cant get enough.... I buy 7lb bags of ice from the grocery store, and probably go thru one bag in 2-3 days Then, besides the ice thing, I love odd smells! I, like you, enjoy the smell of gasoline, but I also love the smell of garages and blacktop roads. I told my fiancee that I would love nothing more than to set up a lawn chair in our garage and have a bucket of ice next to me and just chomp away! I wonder what's wrong with us??? LOL

I have spoken with a friend tha works in an OBGYN office and she reports that some women crave really odd things--like the smell of tar, smell of wet cement, rubber glue, lighter fluid, leather, hair spray etc etc.

I am not certain about the ice chewing thing with pregnancy--I suspect that not all of it is related to being anemic. I was never anemic and chewed and chewed and chewed....

I'm not pregnant, but I like chewing ice, haveodd olfactory cravings like tire rubber, tar, new warehouse odor, new car smell, and a few toxic smells.
Smelling tire rubber is my number one favorite. I hate it that after a few minutes the tire rubber smell becomes faint and blends in.
It's rather odd when I can't stand the smell of food on someone's breath, or alcohol on someone's breath. But love the smell of toxic things. Not that interested in the gasoline smell so far. I would love it if I could get that tire rubber smell in my apartment all the time.
I have taken the advice from others on this forum to enjoy my ice crunching. I find that pouring lukewarm drinking water rather than pouring hot water into ice cube trays make for better crunchy ice.
I would like to know if my ice chewing cravings are related to something unhealthy. I've heard all sorts of things, mainly anemia or iron-deficiencies. I may be iron-deficient. Not sure. Would like to hear how others have resolved their olfactory cravings. Is it possible to find a healthy way to bring my tire rubber smell to my place without buying a number of tires and setting them in my living room.

Well I'm a guy so I can't really say I only get those urges..... Pregnant urges. But Yes I chew Ice a gasoline is a great smell. Have you ever been at the gas station and put some gas on your hands so you ride down the road smelling it? Call me crazy but......... Ya Know.

OliveBranch wrote:I hated chewing ice until I got pregnant with my daughter in 2005. I could not get enough ice!! I had my iron levels tested consistently and they were always excellent--so pica was ruled out. I was even chewing ice as I delivered her. The craving subsided a bit after delivery but now I am pregnant again and it is returning.

Funny thing--I also craved the smell of gasoline at the same time--which was something else I did not care for until pregnant. Hubby would drive by the gas stations with the windows down to tease me.

Did anyone else have a craving for a specific smell while chewing ice?

Hi, I did, I love, no, L-O-V-E!, the smell of new tires at the store. I take a good sniff every time I go to Cosco or Sam's Wholesale club, I walk right up to one of those stacks of tires and BREATHE IN! I also love the gritty stuff the dental hygenist uses on your teeth with when she's polishing them. I like the crunch it gives when you bite down. I also like the stray grain of sand or two that ends up in my mouth at the beach though I would never put any in my mouth on purpose because a habit like that would wear your teeth to nubs. I also like the smell of camphor, mothballs, menthol, and eucalyptis. I like Vick's inhalers for that reason. I wonder if any research docs ever hit this site looking for information to use in their iron deficiency studies? Shaun

I started craving and chewing ice during my first pregnancy in 2001. The craving went away right after giving birth to my first child. Ten years later I got pregnant again and the craving returned but again it went away after I gave birth the second time. Six months after having my second baby, I was pregnant again for the third time and the cravings came back with a vengeance. This time it wasnt just ice but smell cravings to go along with it. My favorite things to smell while I eat ice is anything that smells like rubber or strong plastic odor. I have purchased mouse pads to satisfy my craving. I actually sit and read the reviews to see which ones have gotten the most complaints about strong rubber odor. I roll up the mouse pad into a tube, secure it with rubber bands and smell it as I eat the ice. I also purchased an inner tube for a bicycle tire, but it didn't smell strong enough for me. I also love the dusty, murky smell the car AC gives off when you first turn it on. That dusty smell is similar to the smell a vacuum cleaner with a full bag gives off when you turn it on. New car smell car freshener, Gain laundry detergent, Fabuloso (the red kind) and bleach are some of the cleanser smells I enjoy while eating ice. I actually soaked a rag in Fabuloso and carried it in a ziploc bag to sniff during the day at work. The ultimate fix for me is going to a tire store or Payless. The cheap payless shoes have such a great rubber smell, I have actually considered getting part-time job there, but if I was on the clock, they may not allow me to eat ice. When we go to get new tires, I just make sure I have enough ice to last me the whole time we are there. I wish I could take the smell home with me.

My third child is 5 months old now and the cravings are not letting up. I chew ice constantly throughout the day and night. I carry several thermal cups of ice with me whenever I leave the house, no matter how short of a trip I am taking. I prefer ice cubes made from plastic trays because I can customize the size of the cubes and they have smooth edges. Also cubes melt slower than crushed ice which means less trips to the freezer. I have to eat my ice in order from smallest to largest. If I start on the larger cubes first, the smaller ones will melt and I wont get to eat them. I do not drink much water at all, all my water is consumed as ice as the sensation of swallowing water makes me want to gag. I consume between 25 and 30 trays of ice per 24hr period. I get upset, anxious and angry when my source of ice is threatened. The only place I don't chew ice is church but I am Catholic so Mass last for one hour tops and even then I am thinking about the cup of ice watiting for me in the car.

My hemoglobin is still low, but not extremely low (9.6 when it should be at least 12) so I am starting to wonder if this craving is becoming a psychological addiction rather than a physiological one. I enjoy eating ice so much that I really don't want the craving to stop. It is relaxing and so enjoyable. I got strep throat a few months ago and for about 3 days I couldn't eat ice because swallowing was too painful. I thought the craving had gone away, but as soon as my throat felt better, the craving returned full force. My friends and family really think im nuts, and I'm sure the crunching is annoying, but I dont care enough to stop.

The cheap payless shoes have such a great rubber smell, I have actually considered getting part-time job there, but if I was on the clock, they may not allow me to eat ice. When we go to get new tires, I just make sure I have enough ice to last me the whole time we are there. I wish I could take the smell home with me.